The injury bug struck the Tampa Bay Buccaneers again just days before their showdown against the Chicago Bears, with star wide receiver Antonio Brown the latest to fall victim. Head coach Bruce Arians revealed the unfortunate news on Friday, saying that Brown has been ruled out for the Bears vs Bucs Week 7 game, alongside starters Rob Gronkowski, Lavonte David, and Richard Sherman.
Antonio Brown ruled out after ankle sprain
Brown suffered a sprained ankle in Tampa Bay's 28-22 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on October 14 in their Thursday Night Football showdown. Brown missed practice the entire week, and the extra rest was not enough for him to get ready for Sunday's game against the Bears.
Brown has been a significant contributor to Tampa Bay's offense this season, catching 29 passes for 418 yards and four touchdowns in five games played. His 418 receiving yards are the second most on the Bucs this campaign.
Brown's importance cannot be overstated, with Tampa Bay's only loss coming with him out of the lineup this season. He was also sidelined in Tampa Bay's 34-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3. The Buccaneers have won their last 13 games with Brown in the lineup dating back to last season.
Brown had seen a significant uptick in production with Gronkowski sidelined due to cracked ribs and a punctured lung that he suffered in the Week 3 loss to the Rams. The four-time Super Bowl champion tight end has yet to recover from those injuries and will still be sidelined for the game against the Bears.
With Brown and Gronkowski out, Tom Brady will have to rely on Evans and Chris Godwin to get the job done against Chicago. Godwin has recorded at least 50 yards receiving in five of the Bucs' six games this season. This year, he also leads the team in receptions with 34 and is third in receiving yards with 409. Evans leads Tampa Bay in the receiving department with 420 yards thus far this season.
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David, Sherman add to the Bucs' defensive woes
On the defensive side of the ball, the Buccaneers also lost some key personnel, with linebacker Lavonte David and cornerback Richard Sherman both out for Week 7. In the Bucs' Week 5 win over the Miami Dolphins, David suffered a low ankle sprain while Sherman pulled his hamstring in the Week 6 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The good news for the Bucs' injury-plagued secondary is that safety Antoine Winfield Jr. will be fit and ready to go for the game against the Bears. He has missed the Bucs' past two games after suffering a concussion in the Week 4 win against the New England Patriots. On Thursday, Winfield cleared the concussion protocol, meaning Tampa Bay will have three of its original starting five defensive backs in Week 7.
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